Laughter, Tears, Curtain: Nicholas Hytner Recalls His Time Running the National Theatre
Hytner's account of his time as Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Balancing Acts, offers scattered insights but lacks purpose and precision.
Alex Ramon
Alex Ramon is a lecturer and critic currently based in Łódź, Poland. He is the author of the book Liminal Spaces: The Double Art of Carol Shields and has written and presented papers on Guy Maddin, Sarah Polley, Rawi Hage, Mordecai Richler, and Iris Murdoch. He has covered film festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, London and Gdynia, and interviewed various directors, writers and performers, including Tori Amos, François Ozon, Agnieszka Holland, Andrzej Chyra, and Samuel Adamson. His current projects include an edited collection of reviews and essays. As well as PopMatters, he writes for Sight and Sound, BFI, and Film International, and blogs at Boycotting Trends.http://boycottingtrends.blogspot.comTwitter: @BoycottTrends
All the World Really Is a Stage in Dominic Dromgoole’s ‘Hamlet: Globe to Globe’
Dromgoole's account of touring the Globe's production of Hamlet to almost 200 countries is a moving, funny, and enlightening testament to ambitious ventures.
Lyricists and Composers are ‘Links in a Chain’ in Absorbing ‘More Songwriters on Songwriting’
Paul Zollo's book is a satisfying sequel in which composers from Paul Simon to Sia, Elvis Costello to Loretta Lynn, discuss their creative processes.
The Country and the Metropolis: Thomas Hardy, a Divided Man
Mark Ford's compelling study offers the first thorough account of Thomas Hardy as "a London Man".
Race Explored With Different Degrees of Emphasis: ‘Pioneers of African-American Cinema’
Encompassing documentaries, silent comedy, melodramas and religious films, this collection of early cinema made by American-American filmmakers is fascinating viewing.
‘Fade To Gray’ Is an Insightful Study of Aging in American Cinema
Timothy Shary and Nancy McVittie’s rewarding, accessible study explores representations of aging and older characters in American film from early cinema to the present-day.
After Images: Poland’s 41st Gdynia Film Festival
From painters to interrogators, some of the finest films at Gdynia Film Festival 2016 dramatized real-life figures from the country’s past.
‘Dissent & Disruption: Alan Clarke at the BBC’ Is a Radical Revelation
Period adaptations, pagan pastorals, hard-hitting experimenta, and Bowie in Brecht: the BFI’s collection of Alan Clarke’s work at the BBC is essential, revelatory viewing.
The Pleasure of New Challenges: An Interview With Andrzej Chyra
The acclaimed Polish actor talks about collaborating with Warlikowski and Skolimowski, and the pleasure of playing Hippolytus opposite Isabelle Huppert in Phaedra(s).
Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave Re-team in the Almeida’s Excellent ‘Richard III’
Rupert Goold’s spare, intense production divests Richard III of any pantomime associations and boasts an astounding performance from Ralph Fiennes as the treacherous monarch.
Isabelle Huppert Unites the Diverse Strands of Warlikowski’s ‘Phaedra(s)’
Krzysztof Warlikowski’s characteristically idiosyncratic production reflects on the legend and legacy of Phaedra as icon – and draws much of its interest from Isabelle Huppert as icon.